The present invention relates to steel stud building wall systems and especially to apparatuses for stabilizing steed studs to prevent lateral movement and torsion in such systems.
Many industrial, and a growing number of residential, buildings are constructed with steel stud wall framing for a variety of reasons. Steel framing is fireproof, does not warp, cannot be infested, and does not rot. When a wall is built with any kind of stud, wood or steel, it is generally desirable to fix sequential studs relative to each other and each against lateral movement and torsion. In wood-stud walls, a short piece of wood blocking is typically nailed to adjacent stud pairs to stabilize them. In steel-stud walls, an elongated steel bridging member is typically inserted horizontally through pre-punched openings in a series of vertical studs to keep them aligned. Steel studs have excellent columnar strength when they are straight, but a significant portion of that strength is lost if the studs are twisted. Because steel studs are particularly vulnerable to torsion, the bridging member, which is typically channel-shaped, having a horizontal web and two vertical side flanges, is made to closely fit the openings in the vertical studs in order to maximize torque resistance. In additional to mechanical torque, metal studs can twist or bend in response to the heat of a fire when the drywall sheathing, which acts as a firebreak, is destroyed. When metal studs twist or bend, they lose their weight-bearing capacity, multiplying the damage caused directly by fire.
While channel-shaped bridging members closely received in the openings can help restrain the studs from twisting, some twisting can still occur and the studs can still shift or bend parallel to the wall. A variety of sheet metal brackets have been designed to prevent this shifting or bending. The prior art brackets are either simple L-brackets that are not specifically adapted for any particular connection or brackets that can only be used for a single type of connection, in this case the connection of bridging members to wall studs. The simple L-brackets form relatively weak connections and the others are limited in their utility. Neither is optimized for material saving and the ability to produce similar brackets of differing sizes on the same progressive die equipment with minimal changes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bracket that uses less material than prior art brackets, can be made in different widths on the same progressive die machinery with minimal equipment changes, and can be used to create a variety of connections in addition to one between wall studs and the bridging members that interconnect the wall studs for strength and stability.